September 16/03 1:48 am - Blizzard Bike Club News

Posted by Editoress on 09/16/03

Blizzard Bike Club Fort St. John, BC

September 14

Stephen Ferris capped off a great season with a convincing win in the Dawntech Mountain Bike Championships, Sunday. He became Club Mountain Bike Champion with a time of 1: 19:39 hours for the 4-lap event. 2001 Champion Robert Martens was second at 1:21:35 and defending 2002 Champion Trevor McDonell was 3rd at 1:22:08.

Stephen gets his name etched on the Champion's Trophy, three years after his dad, Pat Ferris, won it, also.

Twenty riders came out under rain, cold and snow flurries at Beatton Park. The 4-lap event contained a record amount of difficult single track, blown down trees and wet, rough ground for the riders to contend with.

Stephen Ferris was the first out of the gate at the start. Robert Martens took over the lead into the first off-camber turn. Ferris took over at the front after a kilometer and never lost his lead. He came in with a gap of 2:04 seconds over second place Martens.

Trevor McDonell worked his way up to 3rd spot despite a late crash to come in with 1:22:08. Gilbert Bilodeau was 4th, close behind, at 1:22:33. Richard Howes had 5th at 1:26:25 and Andrew Kovacs 5th at 1:27:50. 2000 Champion Pat Ferris was 7th at 1:30:09. Roger St. Jean was 8th at 1:33:12, Gary Hilderman 1:43:16 and Adam Currie 2:01:33.

Tessa Bilodeau won the 1 lap with 27:32. Angela Ripley was next at 31:20 and Trisha Gladysz third at 33:34.

This past Saturday Wim Kok completed the 200 km Quiche cycling brevet in 10 hours and 30 minutes. Earlier this August Kok successfully finished the 1,230 km Paris-Brest-Paris randonneur ride in 79 hours and 28 minutes. This ultra marathon cycling event takes place every four years in France. This year over 4,000 riders from 26countries participated in the legendary ride, first held in 1891.

Coming Up:-Thursday is the final mountain bike time trial of the 2003 season. It starts at Beatton Park at 6:30 pm at Beatton Park.-Sunday is the start of the 'Muddy Face' cyclo-cross series, starting at Chateau martens in Baldonnel at 2:00 pm.-Club Banquet Oct.4 at the Northern Grand Hotel. Tickets in advance from Ferris Fast Cycles.

Coming Events

It is now Cyclo Cross season for the Blizzard Bike Club. Sunday is the first event for the fifth annual 'Muddy Face Race' series. Prizes will be awarded as per the overall points they accrue on each race in the four race series.

Robert Martens had a perfect unbeaten record for the Men's Series cyclo-cross with the Muddy Face Trophy for 2000 and 2001. Vaughn Hildebrand was the upset winner of the 2002 series by winning three of the four races in the series.

There will be four events, this year, all sponsored by SEACOR. They will be September 21, October 5,12th and 19th. The actual Muddy Face Trophy date will be Oct. 19th.

Cyclo-Cross is a great spectator event as the riders go round and round a twisting, small marked loop in the forest and the fields. It is an off-road event ridden and run with road-style bicycles or mountain bikes. It is a sort of steeplechase event with riders covering fields, single track and carrying their bikes over barriers and obstacles. The bikes themselves have knobby tires, mountain bike type brakes and plenty of mud clearances. A lot of mud and snow is considered great for cyclo-cross conditions.Dennis Morrison was the first winner of the 'Muddy Face' trophy back in 1998. He won the event on the Finch field circuit in a memorable affair that had lots of mud and fresh snow.

Robert Martens has won the 'Muddy Face Trophy' 2000 and 2001. The 1998 winner Dennis "Muddy Face' Morrison and 1999 champion Trevor McDonell also will try to get their trophy back amid the mud and snow. Vaughn Hildebrand won in 2003 but has now moved to sunny Victoria and is unlikely to defend.

Some of the local riders will be attending the Alberta Provincial Cyclo Cross in Edmonton October 26th. The National Championships are in Vancouver November 6th. Pat Ferris picked up a bronze in 2001 at the Provincial Cyclo-Cross. Pat and Stephen Ferris and Robert Martens went to the Nationals in 2001 with Martens picking up 9th place.

Sept 20th and 21st, Pat and Stephen Ferris will be in Edmonton to do two days of provincial cyclo-cross. The Pedalhead Cyclocross goes on Saturday and the Hardcore Hop N' Hurl is happening Sunday.

The first 'Muddy Face Race' starts at 2:00 pm at the Martens Estates in Baldonnel, fourth house on the left after the old Airport School. Bring a noisemaker and be prepared to cheer.